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Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Bandcamp Picks - Master, Chthe'ilist, Awe, Sunless

Not resting long after their last tour and an appearance on the main stage of MDF, death metal OGs Master return with their 13th album in a career that's older than most of their fans. An Epiphany Of Hate
is pure unrelenting old school heaviness (in that style before "thrash" and "death" went their separate ways), looping in some Sabbath influences along the way. It all sounds a little familiar, but there'sprobably no impetus to reinvent the wheel when you helped shape it in the first place. [€7]

An Epiphany Of Hate by Master
Sharing members with tech/death stars Beyond Creation, it goes without saying that Chthe'ilist can play circles around most bands. But Le Dernier Crépuscule has little in common with the clinical brutality of their other gig, instead going down a more atmospheric route full of convoluted riffs, tricky time changes, and guttural vocals. Like a night time hike through R'Lyeh. [$9.99]

I had no idea Greek band Awe existed until fairly recently; but let's be fair, neither did you. Providentia is their ambitious first full length, and the three songs herein add up to 50 minutes of chimaeric black/death, running the gamut from slow atmospherics to total destruction and back again. A surprisingly forward-thinking and original addition to the Pulverized roster. [$9.99]

Providentia by Awe
Minnesota's Sunless only have a two song demo to their name, but are already turning heads. Ulcerate and Gorguts are cited as influences, but I also hear a lot of the discordant hardcore that came out at the turn of the millennium. One way or another, a band a lot of people will be watching closely. The demo is available as a "name your price" download.